An Elephant named Lumpy.

A Headless Body Production

Location:  Dave's House
Event:        Bedlam One Elephant Minimum.
Players:     Phil Gardocki, playing Triumvirate Roman.      
                         Robert McNally , playing Classical Indians.

Game System: L'Art de la Guerre, about 200 points per side.

Lumpy

Scenario: The tournament had a requirement that the lists must have available at least one elephant, and that the player must field at least one elephant.  Using the Rock-Paper-Scissors strategy of list development, I decided I would design a list that would take the elephant hits of my opponents, and kill the infantry supports.  Most elephant armies have poor infantry, like the Indian half bow, half swordsmen.  So I picked Triumvirate Roman.  I named it's single, mediocre elephant, "Lumpy".  Not to be a total jerk, I decided also to run with mediocre legionnaires.  I dutifully wore my wife's Lumpy pin for the day.  Only one person got the pop-culture reference.

The Forces:
Triumvirate Roman commanded by Marius (brilliant), Darrylious (brilliant) and Darrylious, the not as bright as Darrylious.  (ordinary and unreliable)
 

      2 German Horsemen, Medium Cavalry, elite

      2 Roman Horsemen, Heavy Cavalry, included Generals

      10 Legionaries, Heavy Swordsmen, armor, impact, mediocre.
      2 Illyrians, Light Cavalry, Javelin

      2 Thracian Javelinmen
      4 Velites, Light Infantry, Javelin
      2 Bolt Shooters on Mule Carts (because I have the figures, that's why)
      1 An elephant named Lumpy, mediocre.

      Break point 26

Classic Indian
3 competent generals commanding a standard mix of 6 elite elephants, supported by a strong contingent of half sword and bow mediums, and the required mediocre medium cavalry.  Break point appears to be 19.

The Romans win the initiative, and elect to receive the Indians in the mountains.  The Romans select 2 steep hills a wood and a gully.  The Indians two brushes.

Deployment:
The Indian right line started just right of center, and ran to the left edge of the board.

The right most Indian command consists of 4 infantry and 2 elephants.

The center Indian command consists of 4 infantry and 2 elephants, and the medium cavalry.

Don't give Bob any crap about his camp.  He forgot his and I had that one at the bottom of my box.

The left most Indian command consists of 4 infantry and 2 elephants.

The Indians have a noticeable lack of light infantry.  That is going to bite him later.  Just not in this game :)

Marius and his horsemen are running flank on the Roman left.

In the center, his legionaries are in perfect alignment.

Darrylious, the not as bright as his brother Darrylious is in the center.  Thracians and bolt shooters frame his centerpiece, "Lumpy".  Velites are arrayed forward.

Darrylious, the brilliant, cannot be seen.  However, he has chosen a very obvious piece of cover.

In a very impressive display of drill team maneuvering, the Indian army steps off as one, marching in perfect lockstep.

Their left command double moves and arcs somewhat to the right towards the waiting legionnaires.

Marius runs around the hill at a gallop.

His legionaries advance just far enough to hug the steep hill.

Darrylious, the not as bright as his brother Darrylious rolls a 1 for command points, and so is not playing this turn.

Darrylious, who still cannot be seen, orders his troops to step forward.

Turn 2:

The Indian right flank cants their line to receive Marius's Cavalry. 

Their center and left begin to link up within bow range.  Their sheaf darken the sky, and the 9th cohort takes a hit.

Marius's legionaries advance and slide left. 

Missile exchange in the center is inconclusive. 

But an ambush is revealed.  Darrylious can now be seen. 

Turn 3:

The Indian right advances to charge reach.

The center charges, running off the Velites.  And manages to catch one.

The Indian left advances to charge reach as well.

So far, the game is about careful maneuvering.   The main lines are vectoring towards one another, but both Indian flanks are exposed to Roman Cavalry.

Marius's Romans charge a flank, scoring a single hit.  Indian foot on the right take a hit from Roman Bolt Shooters.  The main force of Legionaries advance to charge reach.

Velites and Javelinmen throw their darts and score, but also pick up a hit

Darrylious sees an opportunity for an overlap and orders 3 of his cohorts to charge.  Legions on elephant result in a tie, but the Indian foot picks up a hit.

The Romans have 6 hits towards their breakpoint of 26
The Indians have 5 hits towards their breakpoint of 19

Turn 4:

The Indian right hand command elects to hold, rally and shoot.  His flanked foot unit conforms to the Roman Cavalry, an holds it's ground.

Their center commander is displaying no such timidity.  His charge destroys one of the bolt shooters.

The Indian left, sends one foot unit to charge a Legion, supporting the center.  The remaining battleline holds and shoots.

Marius's Legions are cracking before the elephants, but the supporting Indian foot have lost two units, the other two are disordered.

The Roman center is cracking as well.  Another Velite is destroyed.  Lumpy is about to be committed to combat.

Darrylious is nibbling at the end of the Indian line, his Germans are deep in the rear awaiting an opportunity for a devastating charge.

The Romans have 16 hits towards their breakpoint of 26
The Indians have 10 hits towards their breakpoint of 19

Turn 5:

Casualties are picking up on both sides on the Roman right.  The Legions facing the elephants both have 3 hits.  But Marius destroys his opponent, routing them through an elephant.

Another Thracian is destroyed.  The Roman right is flanked.

The Indian left commits to combat.  Disordering a legion.

Both elephants are flanked and take hits.

Lumpy the heffalump gets his first look at a real elephant.  With a squeak, his stitching came undone, spreading a wave of fluff and yarn over a near by Velite, where they remained entangled until the end of the game.

With a classic sounds of bugle horns, the cavalry saves the day.  Flank charges on an elephant and a foot unit, destroying both!

The Romans have 22 hits towards their breakpoint of 26
The Indians have 19 hits towards their breakpoint of 19

What went right for the Romans?  They were able to exploit their superior length and mobility to turn the flanks of the Indians.  But before I get cocky, it was a very near run thing.  Armored Heavy Sword facing off against Medium Sword should be a clear win, but there were battles still raging at the end.